Three Lady Demons collect Academic All-Southland honors

Three Northwestern State women’s track and field student-athletes were selected to the Southland Conference All-Academic team, the league announced Wednesday.

Senior Kelsey Frank was an automatic selection after winning the conference javelin title.

Junior long jumper Jasmyn Steels and junior triple jumper Brooke Petkovich were voted to the team by the conference’s coaches, sports information directors and academic coordinators.

“These three ladies represent what this program is about on and off the track,” said NSU coach Mike Heimerman. “You’ve got a national champion (Steels), a two-time conference champion (Frank) and a 4.0 student-athlete who scored for us at the conference meet (Petkovich) in this group.

“All three are great students, and it’s a great way to end a remarkable season.”

Frank won her second conference title in May after setting the school javelin record with a 168-5 throw in April. She posted a 3.07 GPA in social work with a degree this spring.

After Steels won the NCAA Indoor long jump championship, the College Station, Texas, native followed that with a silver medal at NCAA Outdoors with an SLC and

NSU record jump of 22-0 ¼. Steels has a 3.62 GPA in psychology in which she also received a degree in the spring.

Petkovich scored in her second SLC Championships of her career in the triple jump, posting a PR of 39-1. The Kenner native has a perfect 4.0 GPA in health and exercise science, also earning a degree this spring.

Steels and Petkovich were two-time selections.

It’s the third straight year that the NSU women’s program has placed at least three selections on the team.